Lighting system for toy observation cars



2 Sheets-Sheet LIGHTING SYSTEM FOR TOY OBSERVATION CARS lime 19, 1928.

June 19, 1928.

H. s. BECKER LIGHTING SYSTEM FOR TOY OBSERVATION CARS Filed March 18, 192 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 gwwnto a Patented Jae-19, "1928..

(U D f STATES HARRY s. BECKER; or RIVER ronn s'r, umnors nssrenon To AMERICAN YER" f 1.514.238. N FF mumcrunmocomrm, or enrolled, rnnnvors, A conroaArIon ornirmors.

Lren-rnve 'szs'rn'm non TOY onsnnvarron cans.

Application' filed March 18, 1926. Serial m. 95,746.

TlllS inventlon relates to toy rallway cars and more particularly to a novel improvemefitin a car of the observation type whereby it may be made to more effe tually simu- 6 late the appearance of the'observation cars used on famous standard trains. Accordingly, a primary'object of the in vention is to provide a novel observation-end construction including a self-contained light- 10 ing unit for the rear of a toy railway observation car to illuminatea sign mounted on said rear end, and also provide a self-com taigied lighting unit attached to the "upper rear portion of the car .to. illuminate the I5 canopy of the observation platform.

A further object is to provide a lighting fixture, attached to the rear platform rail and togthe bottom of an observation car 7 platform and so mounted as to illuminate a sign carried by the rail, and another light mounted to illuminate colored ,inserts attached to. the canopy of the carplatform whereby desired light and color effects are produced.

. ,A still further object-of the invention is to construct acsimple, practical and reliable lighting system" particularly adapted to toy use because of its.ruggcdness and simplicity which not only renders it economical to manufacture but better able to withstand the comparatively rough usage to which cars of this character are usually subjected.

In this connection the invention recognizes that in the production of a lighting system of this character it is not only desirable that it be cheaply constructed but that it be simple and strong to adapt it to withstand rough usage and yet preserve the appearance of an expensive toy having the latest con- 4o'struction of observation platform. In toy cars the interior of which are illuminated by' lamps the current supply 'unitis so constructed and arranged that 'it will pick up current from the third rail or other source irrespective of any other car in the train and in this invention the current so supplied is utilized for lighting sign and canopy illuminating'lamps mounted on the observa tion platform of a toy car.

With the above and other objects in view which will more readily appear as the nature of the, invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel construction, combinetiori and arrangeme t of parts herein- ;the invention is shown in the accompanying: ,drawlngs, in which equipped.

' is a detail transverse section taken car sign.

after more fully described, illustrated and as claimed.

A preferred and practical embodiment of Fig. 1 represents a longitudinal section of 0 the rean portion of a toy railway car em- L bodying this'invention. v

' Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of a toy carsoi Fig. 3 on the line 33 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a'plan-view, with the roof or top removed, ofthe rear portion of a toy observation car showing a light assembly and means for securing a canopy to the car Q brace which also supports the light.

Fig. 5 isa detail perspective View of the light housing used fofhousing the light which illuminates the sign on the rear. of the car platform;

I Fig; (i is a similar view of an'insert' retainer for use in connection with the rear Fig. 7 .'s a detail sectional view taken on the line 7-7 of Fig. 2, and I Fig. 8 is a detail perspective view of an insert retainer used in" connection with the canopy of the observationplatforni of the car.

Similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several figures of the drawings. a

A distinctive feature of the present in-- vention. is to-providean observation toy car I with a lighting system-having self-contained lighting units on the rear platform to illuminate a rear sign and the canopy of the observation car platform which extends down from the car roof and overhangs saidplatform and whereby lighting and color effects are produced.

Fig. 6, said frame being equipped with bendable lugs 4 for securing it to the "rail 2.

A lighting assembly 10 is mounted on the platform Pand projects upwardly-through the bottom 18 of said platform, and is carried by a bracket- 5 secured to the lower face of the platform bottom B with the end 6 thereof which carries the lighting assembly offset. downwardly from said bottom as is,

shown clearly in Fig. 1.

The light 10 is, shown mounted in a housing member secured to the car platform bottom by means of lugs 16 extendingfrom the lower edges of the housing and designed to be passed through the platform bottom and clinched on the under face thereof.

' This housing which includes the member 15 and" removable cap 15 when in operative position is elosed on all sides except at the front so that all rays of the light from the lamplO will be reflected through the sign 1. The removable cap 15 permits access to the lamp socket for purposes of replacing the lamp therein.

A conductor wire \V' leads from the terminal 11 of the lamp 10 to the terminal 21 of the lamp 20 located under the hood H over the platform P. This lamp 20 as shown is located centrally under said hood and the light. rays emanating therefrom pass out through colored inserts 17 arranged in a terminal 21.

depending canopy 18 carried by the hood H.

7 These inserts 17 may be of'any desired or suitable transparent material and colored as desired being shown arranged at opposite ends of the canopy ahd preferably one is colored red and the other greento indicate right and left sides of the car respectively,

These inserts 17 are mounted in suitable frames 19 shown equipped with bendable lugs 19 for fastening said frames to the canopy. Anv desired number of these inserts may be employed fourbeing here shown two at ppposite sides of the car and two at the end thereof near the oppo'site'sides: The canopy 18 is mounted on a brace 25 mounted in the hood H and shown in the form of a plate having a tongue 26 struck out therefrom and bent upwardly and inclined to form a supporting bracket for the lampQO, the lead wires V, ."W and W extending through the opening 27 formed by striking out the tongue 26 and engaged with the-lamp The plate 25 has another opening 28 formed therein through which the bulb of the lamp 20 projects and which is inclined so as to shedthe light rays thereon the right.

from toward the canopy 18 and cause them to pass out through the colored inserts 17 in 2 said canopy. This light 20 also operates to illuminate platform P as well as the inserts in the canopy.

The canopy 18 is shown provided with a, plurality of bendable lugs or nibs 18 which are inserted through slots in the plate 25 and bent flat thereagainst as is shown clearly-in Figs. 1 and 4, the canopy being mounted on this brace when the car is being assembled. and is held in place thereby.

ltn addition to the feed wires W and W which supply current to the lamps 10 and 20 and which are mounted on the terminal 21 of lamp 20 another wire W? is also mounted on this terminal and extends forwardly into the car C for connection with a lamp at the front of the car, not shown.

From the foregoing it-will be apparent that when the car C is placed on the track the roller R will engage the third rail R and current will befed from said rail through the roller and the connection between it and the wire V. through said wire to the terminal 21 of the light 20, and said lamp being grounded on. the car the circuit will be completed and the lamp lit. Simultaneously current will be fed through the wires V and Vi to the lamp 10 on the platform and to the lamp, not shown, in the car. 7

It will thus be seen that when the lamps '10 and 20 are so lighted the sign 1 on therailingof the observation car platform will be illuminated giving it the appearance of a regulation railway car. At the same time the light 20 will illuminate the canopy 18 of the platform and cause the red and green inserts 17 located at the right and left re spectiyely of the car to be illuminated as is usual in railway trains and these inserts withgreen and red glasses or other trans- Hit] parencies indicate the right and left sides 1 respectively of the train. the red light being on the leftside of the train and the green of' the. car C is lighted by means of the current fed through the conductor wire V Vithout further description it is thought that. the features and advantagcsof the in- At the sa'me time the inferior vention will be readilyapparent to those skilled in the artiand it will of course/be understood that changes in the form. proportion and minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing fromthe spirit of the invention and scope 5f the appended claims. I

1. In a toy metal observation car for miniature electric railways, the combination with a platform at one end of the'car and an overhanging roof cooperating therewith to provide a canopy, of a railing mounted at the edge of the platform, a transparent plate constituting a sign located at the rear of amazes said platform, a lamp box having an electric lamp therein mounted'behind the plate and concealing the light from the lamp except where it is projected through the plate, and an electric lamp mounted in the roof and il luminating the platform.

2. A toy metal car for miniature railways having the bottom thereof extended beyond the end to provide a platform, a railing at the edge of the platform, a transparent medium supported at the position of the railing, a lamp box behind the railing and a housing carried by the platform and including a housing member having a back and side walls for surrounding the illuminating means,

. and a top member removably fitted to said housing member.

'3. A toy metal car for miniature railways having the bottom thereof extended to provide a platform, said platform having an opening, a railing at the edge of the platform, a transparent sign carried by the railing, a lamp housing secured to the platform at the opening and including a rmnorable top member, and a lamp socket supported from the bottom of the car and projecting through said openin I 4. toy railway o servation car having a platform railing with a transparent sign mounted thereon, a lamp housin arranged at the rear of said sign on sai platform and closed except at the front oppositesaid sign, a lamp extending through the platform bottom into said housing for illuminating the sign, an offset bracket carried by said platform bottom to support said lamp and current supply means connected with the lamp.

5. A- toy railway observation car havin a platform with an overhanging hood, a brace in the form of a, plate connect- -ing said hood with the car and having an out-struck tongue bent upwardly and rearwardly to form a bracket, an electric light lamp supported by said bracket, said plate having an opening through which the lamp bulb projects, feed wires for said lamp extending throughthe opening formed by the striking out of the tongue", and a canopy carried by said .hood and. having transparent insci'ts arranged to receive the light rays from said lamp whereby said inserts areilluminated.

6. A toy car including a bottom portion projecting beyond one end thereof to provide a p atform, a plate-like member arranged at the top of the car body and having an 0 ening, the part of said plate-like member aving the opening overlying the platform, a. bracket formed from said plate-like member, a lamp socket carried by said bracket and adapted to receive a lamp for illuminating the platform, and a canopy strip carried by the said plate-like member and depending therefrom, and colored transparent members carried by said canopy strip.

7. A toy observation car having an observation platform and a roof portion projecting above the platform, a canopy strip having openings depending from the roof, transparent members for said openings, and ringlike frame members having bendable lugs for engaging with the canopy strip to secure.

the transparent members in place.

8., In a toy metal car for miniature railways, an observation-end construction including a slotted metal member simulating a railing, a transparent indicia carrying member fitted to said meinber'simulating the railing, and a canopy including in combination with the roof of the car, a metallic strip projecting below the roof and-provided with openings fitted with transparent inserts, and means for illuminating the transparent inserts.

9. In a toy metal car for miniature railways, an observation-end construction including a slotted metal member simulating a railing, a transparent indicia carryin mem-. ber fitted to said member simulating tie railing, and a canopy including in combination with the roof of the car, a metallic strip pro- .jecting below the roof and provided with openings at the back and sides, transparent inserts for said openings and means for illuminating the transparent inserts.

10. An observation-end construction for toy metal cars used on minature railways including a platform, a metallic member simulating an observation railing arranged around the edge of the platform, a transparent indicia bearing member fitted to said member simulating the railing, a canopy including in combination with the roof of the car, a metallic part projecting below the edge of the roof and having openings, transparent inserts fitted in said openings, and illuminating means arranged in said canopy.

In testlmony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature.

HARRY S. BECKER. 

